How Do the Young Perceive Urban Parks? A Study on Young Adults’ Landscape Preferences and Health Benefits in Urban Parks Based on the Landscape Perception Model

Abstract

(1) Background: Youth’s physical and mental health is of increasing concern today. However, gaining a more comprehensive knowledge of young people’s landscape preferences for urban parks is challenging. Additionally, young adults’ voices (aged from 20 to 24) are often neglected. (2) Methods: This study collected 349 interview questionnaires from 2014 to 2020 and recorded them into Nvivo10. Firstly, the study did a thematic analysis using the preliminary coding framework based on the landscape perception model to code the interview data and statistics on the frequencies of each theme and code. Then, we used diffractive analysis to interpret original materials to comprehend the underlying significance. (3) Results: Our research showed that young adults’ landscape perceptions are richer in diversity and express more subjective feelings. Their landscape preferences are also related to behavioral activities in addition to environmental features, which have some differences from teenagers. (4) Conclusions: It is helpful to attract more young adults by creating sound and smell landscapes, accommodating more dynamic sports and recreation facilities, and controlling unhygienic and noise problems, which can offer better design, planning, and management for creating inclusive urban parks. The landscape perception model developed in this paper can also provide a reference for related studies in the future.